John b



JOHN B. ROOT, OF NEW YORK, AN..Y.`

Letters Patent No. 74,146, dated. February 4, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-GENERATORS.

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Be it known that I, JOHN D. ROOT, of the city, county, vand State of New York, have invented^ a. new and i .useful Improvement in Steam-Boilers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of` a steam-boiler constructed according to my improvement. Figure 2, an c'nd view thereof, with one of `the returnbends removed, and another shown only in part; and Figure 3,. a transverse section of4 the same through the line :v :ein fg. 1. 4Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. l 4 The objects aimed at in this improved boiler, and which are claimed to be effectedin `a most perfect manner, are, safety or freedom from serious and general explosion, cheapness, lightness, compactness, durability, and economy in working. v

The invention consists, firstly, in a. novel means of connecting, by return-pipes or bends, tubes arranged in a tier, one above the other, over thc fireplace, and containing the water to be heated, while the fire plays,

outside the tubes, said return-pipes communicatingwith apertures, one over the other, at the ends o f the tubes, and connecting cach tube with one above and below it, whereby a perfect circulation is kept'up, foaming prevented, and the steam keptidrier.

Thelvinvcntien also-consists in a peculiar manner ot attaching said return-pipes tothe tubes by free-socket joints, provided with packing and outside clamps, carried and secured by stud-bolts, whereby every provision is made for unequal expansion of the parts, and the return-pipes allowed Vto tip or twist Without straining the main tubes.

Lilewise, the invention consists in constructing the ends of the boiler cfa series of plates, of square or parallelogramic form, fitted to each main tube, and serving, by means of apertures, to connect the main or water-tubes with each other, by pipes or bends. i

And furthermore, the invention consists in a connection of cross water-pipes with thc main tubes, by means of return-pipes or bends, as aforesaid, and arranged vto communicate with said tubes, or certain of them, at their ends, without breaking thc'continuity of the tubes. k l

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A A represent tubes, made, say, of Wrought iron, of anysuitable length, diameter, and thicknes'slof metal, and of any 'desired number, arranged to lie one above the other, and of which there may be several series, lying side by side, with ilue or air-spaces, a a, around each of the tubes tha't are here represented as occupying inclined positions to thehorizon, sloping upwardly from the rear toward and over the fireplace. These tubes A A are screwed or fitted at their opposite 'ends into independent plates or blocks, B B, of square or parallelogram form, which, when combined and in their places, constitute the ends of the boiler, and through which the connections ofthe. tubes A. A with each other in each vertical series are established. If preferred, the tubes A A may be of east metal, with the plates B B cast thereon. To make such connection, each plate i3 is provided with apertures b 6, the one lying above the other, and around each of such apertures an annular socket, c, made, within which may be inserted an India-.rubber ring, d, or other soft and elastic pacl ing,iand into these Sockets the ends of return-pipes or bends, C C, fitted, said bends com necting the upper aperture, o, at each end of one tube, A, with the lower aperture b at the same end of the next tube A, above, and being secured or held to their places by clamping-bars, D D, lapping over, or on lugs or projections c e, and fastened by nuts and studbolts,f,`connected with the plates B, and said clamping-bars being preferably so constructed and arranged as that either one bar-serves to bear on 0r hold two of the return, pipes orvbends C C. Gross-pipes E E F F are, or :hay be, arranged above and below the tubes Av A, at oppo= site ends, which cross-pipes should be connected with the upper and lower rows of the tubes A A, by or through bends or pipes O1 O2, connecting the nearest of the apertures b of said tubes with apertures g, in a similar socketed manner to that used in establishing the connection of the return-pipes C C, and being similarly held or secured by clamping-bars and stud-bolts connected with the cross-pipes, only setting such clamping-bars to lie at right' angles to those previously described, so that all the clamps or clamping-bars may be alike, as also all -the plates or blochs B B, and rcturnpipes or bends C C and Cl C, likewise main pipes or tubes ALA, by which similarity or duplication o'f parts, not only is there economy in construction, but increased facility afforded for tting or changing of parts,-and extending or diminishing, by increasing orlessen'ing the number of tubes, the capacity of the boiler at pleasure, andit will readily be perceived that, by this construction, any of the tubes A A may be'removedy without disturbing the-others. The'bends or return-pipes, being small, may be made light, but strong enouglnof cast iron, to prevent them bursting,'n advance of thetub'cs A A of sheet metal, while the latterfnot being connected either with each otheror the cross-pipes, excepting through the end-plates B B, are not cut away or weakened. Ifv desired, the lower arms.` or legs of the return-pipes may-be made longer than theupper ones, so as to admit, in an inclined' position of the boiler as represented, of the ends of the tubes A A, andtheir plates B'B, lying in a vertical plane. Thev boiler generally, at least at its sides, may be set in briekwork, but its ends, if desired, be covered by sheet-iron jackets, to prevent loss by radiation from saidends, and the return-pipes 0r bends. In some cases the upper, E', of the lower. cross-pipes maybe dispcnsed with, the same serving mainly as a bearer; also, where a steam-drum (shown in red linesls 'not used, or under other circumstances, the lower one, F, ofthe upper cross-pipes may likewise be omitted, leaving the upper one, F', of such pipes to answer asa steam-chest or drum.

. From this description it will be seen that by the system here shown, of return-pipes or bends connecting the'ends of the tubes.A A, as by apertures b 6, one above the other, steam from the lower tube or tubes carries .water up with it into the tube or tubes above, but that this water drops or runs back into the lower tube or tubes again at the.v lower end,'so that lifting of water for more than one length of tube, or thereabouts, and foaming, are prevented, steam passing oii' into the upper portion of the boiler comparatively dry. Inv this way a most perfect circulation is kept up, condensed steam or water carried up; by the steam from below being returned by the-lower of the apertures b, while the drier and more highly-heated vapor or steam works its way above by the upper cfisuch-apcrtures, and circulation generally of the Water iskept up, without any possibility of water being driven into the steam-space with any force or pressure, and safety-valve blowing olf;

Incidentalto the construction of this boiler, it may here be noticed, as an important feature, that by the v socketed and clamped attachment of the return-pipes or bends C C, provision is made for unequal expansion 'and tipping or twisting of saidpipes or bends, without straining on the tubes A A. It furthermore will readily lie-admitted that a boiler constructed as described may not only be got up cheap, light, compact, durable, and be economical to work, but that such a boiler is secure againstserious or general explosion ot' its parts.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is l 1. In combination with the water-tubes A A, the return-pipes or bends O C, arranged to connect cach tube with one above aud below it, substantially as spccied. I I

2. The bend c, for establishing the connection with the water-tubes, by free or socket-joints, when furnished'- with packing, and held to their places by independent outside clamps, stud-bolts, and nuts, or their equivalents, essentially as shown and for thepurposc described. y

3. Tl1e'eross-pipes E E and F F', or either of them, connected with the tubes A A at their ends, by means of independent pipes or bcndsfCl or C2, essentially as shown and described. l

' JOI-IN B. ROOT. Witnesses:

J. W.A CooMns', A.l LE CLERC. 

